8Bit/Digi

Following its successful American premiere back in February, Love & Pop will be screened at the Balboa Theater.

Love & Pop is a 1998 coming-of-age film notable for being Hideaki Anno’s first live-action movie and for being filmed on digital video. The story follows four high school girls as they explore their identity in Tokyo through compensated dating and fragmented emotional experiences. Despite the film being highly praised and Anno’s global reputation, the film did not see a North American release until February 2025.

The film will now be screened at the Balboa Theater on April 14th at 7:30pm. Tickets for the screening are on sale now and this will be a one-night event.

Hideaki Anno is an acclaimed animator and director with a distinguished career in Japan’s entertainment industry. He is best known for creating Neon Genesis Evangelion and directing the Rebuild of Evangelion film series. As a director, he is also well known for helming Shin Godzilla and Shin Kamen Rider. As an animator, he is best known for his work with Hayao Miyazaki.

Neon Genesis Evangelion follows the story of Shinji as he is recruited by his father to pilot an Evangelion into combat against creatures dubbed Angels. The series has been highly praised for deconstructing the mech genre while also exploring complex religious themes that explore the meaning of individuality, freedom, and personal choice. The original series ran from 1995 to 1996 and concluded with the film, The End of Evangelion. The series would be reimagined with the Rebuild saga starting in 2007.

The Balboa Theater is an independent movie theater located at 3630 Balboa St, San Francisco. They are known for showing indie films, classic titles, anime films, and new releases. They are part of CinemaSF, a network of independent theaters that also includes the 4 Star Theater and the Vogue Theater.

8Bit/Digi is an independent news outlet that provides insight into the video game and fandom community of the San Francisco Bay Area.